Most of us know how to ride a bicycle. We find contentment and usefulness in such a vehicle that allows us to reach a destination faster, preserve our health, and also feel the breeze along a sunny day at the beach. But reflecting upon the bicycle, we will find that the act of cycling itself can be equated to how we should manifest our faith. The teachings and principles of the Quran and Hadith are like both handles and brakes, allowing us to control our direction as we move forward, overcoming any obstacles, while the brakes prevents us from plunging into a busy road.

For this article, I would like to touch upon the ‘wheels’ of our faith. As how we are required to balance the two wheels of a bicycle, it is important for us to find balance between the front wheel that is fear, and the rear wheel that is hope. Both are of equal importance, and to be without the other, as how a bicycle would not operate, we would be prevented from extracting the benefit and sweetness of our faith.

Fear and hope towards Allah are two concepts in Islam that have been written and discussed by generations of our scholars — may God have mercy upon their souls — which shows the importance of these two concepts. Although one might not realise it, our perception of religion is influenced by fear and hope. In performing our obligations, it stems from the hope in God’s mercy, reward and paradise. In abstaining from our prohibitions, it stems from the fear in God’s displeasure, punishment and hellfire.

The great saint and scholar, Imam Al-Haddad, wrote on the importance of balancing fear and hope in his book, The Book of Assistance. There, he says that for most believers, ‘fear and hope should be in equilibrium, like the wings of a bird.’ Interestingly, Ibn Qayyim also wrote the same in his work, Madarij As-Salikeen,

‘The heart on its journey towards Allah the Exalted is like that of a bird. Love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head is healthy, then the two wings will fly well. When the head is cut off, the bird will die. When either of two wings is damaged, the bird becomes vulnerable to every hunter and predator.’

Therefore, it would be beneficial for us to have a stronger grasp of understanding on what constitutes fear and hope as defined by our scholars, as only with knowledge about these two concepts can we find balance between them. Otherwise, it is possible for us to have misunderstandings and misconceptions about these two things, causing us to be imbalanced in our perception of faith.

For example, we might find ourselves devoid of hope in the mercy of Allah and do not see the benefit in seeking to be close to Him. Or we might find ourselves devoid of fear in the displeasure of Allah and therefore do not see the need for obedience towards His obligations and prohibitions. May we be far removed from these two conditions.

Just as how we might fall from a bicycle if we cannot find balance, the outcome of this imbalance between fear and hope can be detrimental to one’s faith. Therefore, this article hopes to briefly touch upon the essence of fear and hope in a Muslim, in fear of being devoid of them and in hope that we would be able to acquire them. May this serve as a reminder for myself and for others.

– Meaning of Fear and Hope in Islam

ImaImam Al-Haddad wrote, ‘Have hope and fear, for these are the two of most noble fruits of faith, and God has attributed them to the Foremost among His servants.’¹ This is based upon the Quranic verse:

‘Those whom they invoke, do themselves seek the means of access to their Lord as to which of them becomes the closest, and they hope for His Mercy and fear His punishment. The punishment of your Lord is really something to be feared.’

(Surah Al-Isra’, verse 57)

Hope, as defined by Imam Al-Haddad, is ‘the heart’s knowledge of the immensity of God’s mercy and generosity, the magnitude of His favours and kindness, and His gracious promise to those who obey Him. This knowledge generates a state of joyous relief which is termed ‘hope.’’²

This means to acknowledge and be constantly aware that our Lord is One who is Gentle and Kind towards His creations, Merciful and Compassionate towards His servants, and Truthful and Generous in dispensing blessings and rewards for those who seek it.

If one truly knows God, they will find that this is true. Our Creator is not One who is unkind, unjust, unmerciful and heartless towards His servants. We do not need to look far, but just turn our vision inwards to ourselves. What have we done to deserve being created and subsequently granted a chance of eternal paradise, where a moment in it will make a soul forget everything it has ever encountered in this life? This in itself is something that should make us in awe of Allah’s Mercy towards us.

Those who possess excessive fear and not an ounce of hope, are like cyclists who focuses too much on their front wheel in order to keep it straight. Without turning their vision upwards, they are robbed from beautiful sights and the feeling of the wind caressing their faces. Sooner or later, they will be unable to prevent themselves from crashing into a lamppost.

When one internalises the aforementioned in their heart, accepting that this is the Truth, they will find themselves in a constant state of yearning for the Companionship of God, which will lead them towards a path of obedience and repentance. As how a functional bicycle will lead us to the path we want. If one believes that they possess hope in Allah, and yet do not find themselves adhering to His obligations and prohibitions or seeking to uphold religious principles, nor are they graceful upon themselves for the mistakes they have committed, then this is not true hope. Rather, it is like a faulty wheel that causes us to lose control of our bicycle and fall into a drain.

With that being said, for us servants who are flawed and have sinned copiously, it would not be appropriate for us to feel secure from the displeasure of God and not have an ounce of fear in our hearts. We need to only reflect upon how even the Prophet, peace be upon him, still had fear in his heart. He said, ‘O Allah, I submit my face to you and entrust my affair to you. I commit myself to you out of hope and fear of you.’³

Regarding fear, it is defined by Imam Al-Haddad as ‘the heart’s knowledge of the majesty of God, His invincible might, His independence of any of His creatures, and the severe punishments and painful torments with which He has threatened those who disobey Him and contravene His commands. This knowledge generates a state of apprehension which is termed ‘fear.’’⁴

With fear, it means to acknowledge the true nature of our existence that is dependent on God in all matters. As Allah decrees in Surah Al-Fatir, verse 15, ‘O people, it is you who stand in need of Allah; as for Allah, He is Self-Sufficient, Immensely Praiseworthy.’ We are in constant need of Allah’s mercy, grace and goodwill, not only in this world but also the hereafter. The logical reason as to why we should possess fear is because of the possibility that we might be devoid of Allah’s mercy, grace and goodwill.

Those without fear and only a misplaced sense of hope that does not bring them adherence to the faith, are like cyclists who pay no heed to the fact that their front wheel is broken and bent, saying that it is alright as long as their rear wheel is functional. Logically, such thinking is flawed as a faulty front wheel can cause to stray away from our intended direction and fall into a drain.

To have fear also means to internalise an aspect of our nature that is to have flaws and sins. Those who are of knowledge know that they are never free from flaws, and that is why Allah decrees in the Quran that those who fear Allah are those of knowledge. To not feel fear towards Allah can be equated to arrogance. For this, it would be apt for us to follow the steps of Imam Abdullah ibnu Mubarak whenever we feel secure from fearing Allah. He said to himself:

‘O dear Self, your words are like one who has Zuhud, but your actions are like those of a hypocrite! Do you not hope for paradise? But that is far beyond your reach! Paradise is for those who are unlike you! The dwellers there are of many deeds, not like you, O Self!’⁵

Therein lies the true meaning of fear in Allah. It does not devoid us of hope and knowledge of his Forgiveness and Mercy. It ensures that we do not forget our true nature as servants of Allah, and therefore strive to observe His commandments and prohibitions. As the Promise of Allah is true, those who abandon the commandments and commit the prohibitions, and then do not make truthful repentance and seek His forgiveness, will suffer the displeasure of Allah in the hereafter.

In respect to fear towards the punishments of the hereafter, we should bear in mind that the nature of our God is Merciful and Compassionate, as how we are constantly reminded in every prayer — Bismillahi-Rahmanir-Rahim! In the name of Allah the Most Merciful and Compassionate!  Allah is merciful towards who deserve it and forgives those who seek it, but this does not mean that He is unjust. 

What I mean by ‘unjust’ is to wrongly assume that God will treat everyone equally regardless of their actions, to reward everyone paradise no matter of their conduct in this life. If we truly reflect upon this, we will find that this is both unjust and illogical, and surely our Creator is above such flaws.

– The Role of the Heart

For a bicycle to fully operate, its chain has to be free from rust. Likewise for the heart of a believer. One of the reasons as to why true hope and fear are not rooted in a person — may Allah protect us from it — is because of a tainted heart that is unable to retain knowledge. As our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him said, ‘Verily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if sound, the entire body is sound, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari 52)

Hope and fear can be acquired and nurtured with knowledge, and knowledge here means something which we are in constant remembrance and practice. It would not be of use for us to read and memorise verses and narrations, only to not remember and apply it in our lives. As the Arabic saying goes, ‘Knowledge without practice is akin to a tree that bears no fruit.’ Meaning that it is possible for us to seek and acquire knowledge, but not benefit from it.

Regarding this matter, it is apt for us to reflect upon what have been written by Ibn Taimiyyah about matters of the heart. Though he wrote that the heart was only created for the remembrance of Allah — to feel hopeful or fearful towards Him — it is unable to find so when it is in love with the material world. He wrote:

‘In most situations, the soul becomes occupied with the temptations of this world and its bodily needs, so its desires block the heart from the truth. In this state it is like an eye staring at the ground. In that state, it is impossible for it to see the crescent moon, or even to glance towards it.’⁶

Ibn Taimiyyah wrote that when one is truly in love with something, this love would blind and deafen a person from any other things.⁷ As how the love of Allah would blind us from the love of this temporary abode, the love of this material world will prevent us from loving Allah. It is unfortunate when one possesses the necessary knowledge to love Allah, but is unable to do so.

Ibn Taimiyyah also views that another reason for a heart that have been acquainted with the truth to turn away from it is pride, as well as uncontrolled whims and desires.⁸ It is only when we strive in removing these ailments from our heart and soul will we be able to plant fear and hope in our hearts.

– Verses of Fear and Hope

We should realise that fear and hope are not static states. Just as how it is possible for them to decrease, it is also possible for us to attain a higher level of fear and hope. It is through refined internalisation of fear and hope that we would be able to reach a higher station in our faith, one where we will find bliss and contentment, as how the pious and prophets have found. But as how one needs to strive in upgrading to a bicycle of the highest quality, the same goes for this regard.

I will end this article by inviting all of us to reflect upon the verses and narrations that contain elements of fear and hope, with the intention that our hearts will contemplate upon them and henceforth grasp the Truth firmly. As Imam Al-Haddad wrote, ‘It is a must for us to be concerned about the heart, to be attentive in correcting and straightening it. Because the heart is prone to turn back and forth, and is always in a chaos. As the Prophet, peace be upon him said, “Verily the heart is quick to change than a food that is boiling inside a pot.’”⁹

– Hope

In the Quran, Allah decrees, ‘And He is One who accepts the repentance of his servants and forgives their sins.’ (Surah Asy-Syura, verse 25) It is also decreed in the Quran, ‘Verily, Allah forgives all sins.’ (Surah Az-Zumar, verse 53)

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah decrees, ‘I am present in my servant’s thought of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he mentions Me in his self, I mention him in My Self, and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in a better assembly than that. If he approaches Me by a hand’s breadth, I draw near to him by an arm’s length; and if he draws near to Me by an arm’s length, I draw near to him by a fathom. If he comes to Me by walking, I come to him running.’¹⁰

– Fear

In the Quran, Allah decrees, ‘And do you all think that We have created all of you without purpose, and that all of you will not return to us?’ (Surah Al-Mu’minun, verse 115)

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah decrees, ‘I shall not bring two fears together upon a servant, nor shall I bring together two insecurities upon him. If he fears Me in this world, he shall have no fear in the Other; and if he feels secure from Me in this world, then he shall have no security in the Other.’¹¹

– Fear & Hope

‘Then We bequeathed the Book to those of Our servants that We chose. Now, some of them wrong themselves and some follow the medium course; and some, by Allah’s leave, vie with each other in acts of goodness. That is the great bounty. They shall enter the everlasting Gardens, shall be adorned with bracelets of gold and with pearls, and their apparel therein shall be silk. They will say: “All praise be to Allah Who has taken away all sorrow from us. Surely our Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciative, who, out of His Bounty, has made us dwell in an abode, wherein no toil, nor fatigue affects us.’ 

‘As for those who disbelieved, the Fire of Hell awaits them. There they shall not be finished off and die; nor will the torment (of Hell) be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every thankless being. They will cry out in Hell and say: “Our Lord, let us out so that we may act righteously, different from what we did before.” (They will be told): “Did we not grant you an age long enough for anyone to take heed if he had wanted to take heed? Besides, there came a warner to you. So have a taste of the torment now. None may come to the help of the wrong-doers.’

(Surah Fatir, verses 32-37)

Writer’s note: This article is merely a brief summary on this topic, and it would be of much benefit if the readers seek the works of scholars that I cited as they are of much value. Allah knows best.

Footnotes:

[1] Imam Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance, p 106

[2] Imam Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance, p 107

[3] Source: Sahih Muslim 2710, Grade: Sahih

[4] Imam Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance, p 107

[5] Imam Al-Ghazali, Wasiat Imam Ghazali: Minhajul Abidin, translated by Zakaria Adham,p 279

[6] Ibn Taimiyyah, A Commentary on Ibn Taimiyyah’s Essay on the Heart (Annoted Translation by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips), pp 82-83

[7] ibid, p 83

[8] ibid, p 86

[9] Imam Al-Haddad, Nasihat Agama dan Wasiat Iman (Translated by Syed Ahmad Semait), p 37

[10] Sahih al-Bukhari 7405

[11] Sahih Ibn Hibban 640